Improved wafer coating

ABSTRACT

Improved wafer coating processes, apparatuses, and systems are described. In one embodiment, an improved spin-coating process and system is used to form a mask for dicing a semiconductor wafer with a laser plasma dicing process. In one embodiment, a spin-coating apparatus for forming a film over a semiconductor wafer includes a rotatable stage configured to support the semiconductor wafer. The rotatable stage has a downward sloping region positioned beyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes a nozzle positioned above the rotatable stage and configured to dispense a liquid over the semiconductor wafer. The apparatus also includes a motor configured to rotate the rotatable stage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/169,502, filed on Jan. 31, 2014, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

1) Field

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the field ofsemiconductor processing and, in particular, to methods of improvedwafer coating.

2) Description of Related Art

In semiconductor wafer processing, integrated circuits are formed on awafer (also referred to as a substrate) composed of silicon or othersemiconductor material. In general, layers of various materials whichare either semiconducting, conducting or insulating are utilized to formthe integrated circuits. These materials are doped, deposited and etchedusing various well-known processes to form integrated circuits. Eachwafer is processed to form a large number of individual regionscontaining integrated circuits known as dice or dies.

Following the integrated circuit formation process, the wafer is “diced”to separate the individual die from one another for packaging or for usein an unpackaged form within larger circuits. The two main techniquesthat are used for wafer dicing are scribing and sawing. With scribing, adiamond tipped scribe is moved across the wafer surface along pre-formedscribe lines. These scribe lines extend along the spaces between thedies. These spaces are commonly referred to as “streets.” The diamondscribe forms shallow scratches in the wafer surface along the streets.Upon the application of pressure, such as with a roller, the waferseparates along the scribe lines. The breaks in the wafer follow thecrystal lattice structure of the wafer substrate. Scribing can be usedfor wafers that are about 10 mils (thousandths of an inch) or less inthickness. For thicker wafers, sawing is presently the preferred methodfor dicing.

With sawing, a diamond tipped saw rotating at high revolutions perminute contacts the wafer surface and saws the wafer along the streets.The wafer is mounted on a supporting member such as an adhesive filmstretched across a film frame and the saw is repeatedly applied to boththe vertical and horizontal streets. One problem with either scribing orsawing is that chips and gouges can form along the severed edges of thedies. In addition, cracks can form and propagate from the edges of thedies into the substrate and render the integrated circuit inoperative.Chipping and cracking are particularly a problem with scribing becauseonly one side of a square or rectangular die can be scribed in thedirection of the crystalline structure. Consequently, cleaving of theother side of the die results in a jagged separation line. Because ofchipping and cracking, additional spacing is required between the dieson the wafer to prevent damage to the integrated circuits, e.g., thechips and cracks are maintained at a distance from the actual integratedcircuits. As a result of the spacing requirements, not as many dies canbe formed on a standard sized wafer and wafer real estate that couldotherwise be used for circuitry is wasted. The use of a saw exacerbatesthe waste of real estate on a semiconductor wafer. The blade of the sawis approximate 15 microns thick. As such, to insure that cracking andother damage surrounding the cut made by the saw does not harm theintegrated circuits; three to five hundred microns often must separatethe circuitry of each of the dies. Furthermore, after cutting, each dierequires substantial cleaning to remove particles and other contaminantsthat result from the sawing process.

Plasma dicing has also been used, but may have limitations as well. Forexample, one limitation hampering implementation of plasma dicing may becost. A standard lithography operation for patterning resist may renderimplementation cost prohibitive. Another limitation possibly hamperingimplementation of plasma dicing is that plasma processing of commonlyencountered metals (e.g., copper) in dicing along streets can createproduction issues or throughput limits.

Some alternative dicing methods may involve application of a mask viaspin-coating prior to further processing operations. However,conventional spin-coating techniques for such mask application canresult in residue on the backside of the wafer, resulting problems suchas misalignment during the later processing operations.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to methods,apparatuses, and systems of improved wafer coating.

According to one embodiment, a spin-coating apparatus for forming a filmover a semiconductor wafer includes a rotatable stage configured tosupport the semiconductor wafer. The rotatable stage has a downwardsloping region positioned beyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer.The apparatus includes a nozzle positioned above the rotatable stage andconfigured to dispense a liquid over the semiconductor wafer. Theapparatus also includes a motor configured to rotate the rotatablestage.

In another embodiment, a spin-coating apparatus for forming a film overa substrate mounted on a carrier includes a rotatable stage configuredto support the substrate mounted on the carrier. The rotatable stageincludes an inner region positioned under the substrate and an outerregion positioned under edges of the carrier and having a lower heightthan the inner region. The rotatable stage also has a downward slopingregion between the inner region and the outer region. The apparatusincludes a nozzle positioned above the rotatable stage and configured todispense a liquid over the substrate, and a motor configured to rotatethe rotatable stage.

In one embodiment, a spin-coating method for forming a film over asemiconductor wafer involves supporting the semiconductor wafer over arotatable stage having a downward sloping region positioned beyond aperimeter of the semiconductor wafer. The method involves dispensing aliquid over the semiconductor wafer, and rotating the rotatable stage toform the film over the semiconductor wafer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example,and not by way of limitation, and can be more fully understood withreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a spin-coating apparatus with aconventional chuck design in which the wafer and the chuck on the sameplane;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of spin-coating apparatuseswith rotatable stages that have a downward sloping region positionedbeyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2C is an isometric view of the spin-coating apparatuses of FIGS. 2Aand 2B, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating a method for forming a film over asemiconductor wafer, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating a method of dicing a semiconductorwafer including a plurality of integrated circuits, the method includingformation of a film over the semiconductor wafer, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D illustrate cross-sectional views of asemiconductor wafer including a plurality of integrated circuits duringperformance of a method of dicing the semiconductor wafer, correspondingto operations of FIG. 3B, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a tool layout for laser and plasmadicing of substrates, including a spin-coating module, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system whichcontrols automated performance of one or more operations in the masking,laser scribing, plasma dicing methods described herein, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for improved wafer coating aredescribed. In the following description, numerous specific details areset forth, such as exemplary mask materials and laser plasma dicingmethods in which improved wafer coating may be implemented, in order toprovide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presentinvention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatembodiments of the present invention may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known aspects, such asintegrated circuit fabrication, are not described in detail in order tonot unnecessarily obscure embodiments of the present invention.Furthermore, it is to be understood that the various embodiments shownin the Figures are illustrative representations and are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

When dicing wafers that are 300 μm or thicker, the wafers are rigidenough to be directly placed on mounting tapes without die attach film(DAF). In circumstances where wafers are placed on mounting tapeswithout DAF, no DAF cutting process is involved. Embodiments describedherein address the dicing applications of integrated circuit (IC) wafers(e.g., integrated wafers with processor chips) that have a thickness of250 μm to 800 μm. Furthermore, embodiments address dicing applicationsof integrated circuit wafers with an acceptable dicing kerf width of 50μm to 200 μm width, preferably 50 μm to 100 μm measured on the waferfront surface. A kerf width of 50 μm to 100 μm measured on the waferfront surface corresponds to a typical kerf width measured from the backside of the wafer of 30-50 μm in a laser/saw hybrid process.

In embodiments, a hybrid wafer or substrate dicing process involving aninitial laser scribe and subsequent plasma etch is implemented for diesingulation. The laser scribe process may be used to cleanly remove amask layer, organic and inorganic dielectric layers, and device layers.The laser etch process may then be terminated upon exposure of, orpartial etch of, the wafer or substrate. The plasma etch portion of thedicing process may then be employed to etch through the bulk of thewafer or substrate, such as through bulk single crystalline silicon, toyield die or chip singulation or dicing. Thus, in one embodiment, amethod uses a hybrid approach employing laser scribing and plasmaetching to dice the wafers. The laser scribing removes difficult-to-etchpassivation layers, dielectric layers, and metal layers until theunderlying silicon substrate is exposed. Plasma etching generatestrenches of a depth to the target die thickness. In another embodiment,the laser etch process may involve ablating, with the laser scribingprocess, the entire thickness of the substrate, followed by plasmaetching the substrate surfaces exposed by the laser scribing process. Inone such embodiment, the plasma etching may remove semiconductor damagedby the laser ablation to improve die strength.

Thus, according to embodiments, wafer dicing methods use both laserscribing and plasma etching instead of only laser scribing or bladesawing to generate trenches in a semiconductor wafer. The laser plasmawafer dicing methods involve forming a mask (e.g., a water soluble mask)over the semiconductor wafer to protect the integrated circuits (and insome embodiments, to protect bumps or pads) from being exposed duringlaser scribing and/or plasma etching. The mask layer may be formed byspin-coating.

During the spin-coating process, coating residue may be ejected from thesemiconductor wafer surface, and wrap onto the backside of the waferand/or frame. Remnant residues, such as polymers, may be transformedeasily to a solid state by a sol-gel process, and remain on the backsideof the wafer and/or frame. The solidified residue can critically affectthe flatness of the wafer frame, and result in errors that are fatal tolater processing operations (e.g., laser scribing and plasma etching todice the wafer). For example, laser scribing operations may require finealignment, and a misaligned wafer can result in the laser spot to be outof focus. Furthermore, over time, residues ejected onto the backside ofthe wafer and/or frame can also cause damage and errors to transferrobots (e.g., by contaminating the robot blades used to transportwafers). Contaminated robot blades can contaminate the chuck and ringthat support the wafer in processing chambers (e.g., plasma etchchambers), which can result in the wafer becoming stuck on the chuck dueto the coating residue.

According to embodiments, a spin-coating apparatus includes a rotatablestage (e.g., chuck) that has a downward sloping shape. The dispensedcoating material (e.g., polymer/solvent mixture) is smoothly andhorizontally spun out from the wafer surface. In one such embodiment,minimal to no residue wraps onto the backside of the wafer and/or frame.Thus, the semiconductor wafer is level, enabling precise positioning ofthe wafer. The flatness of the wafer bottom surface also enablestransferring the wafer amongst modules or stations safely and precisely,while avoiding contamination of the robot blades. The flatness of thewafer bottom surface can also enable precise alignment for otherprocessing, such as laser scribing and plasma etching for wafer dicing.Additionally, the lack of residue on the backside of the wafer and/orframe eliminates the need for additional cleaning operations to removethe remnant residue. Embodiments thus enable a clean wafer bottomsurface after spin-coating, which can be used in a variety ofapplications such as semiconductor fabrication and dicing, and in avariety of industries such as recording media, flat screen displays,optics, etc.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a spin-coating apparatus 100 with aconventional chuck design in which the wafer 106 and the chuck 101 areon the same plane. The semiconductor wafer 106 is coupled to a waferframe 102 with dicing tape 104. The chuck 101 supports the wafer 106,tape 104, and the wafer frame 102. A clamp 108 holds the frame 102, andtherefore the wafer 106, in position. The apparatus 100 includes aspinning axis 110 around which the chuck 101, and therefore wafer 106,are rotated to distribute a dispensed liquid. As illustrated in FIG. 1,the chuck 101 has a flat top surface such that the wafer 106, dicingtape 104, and wafer frame 102 are all on approximately the same plane.The illustrated flat chuck design results in residue being ejected fromthe surface of the wafer 106, and attaching to the wafer frame 102,dicing tape 104, and the backside of the wafer 106. The residue attachesto the wafer frame 102, dicing tape 104, and the backside of the wafer106 at least in part because, during spin-coating, the liquid maskmaterial tends to spin out towards the edge of the tape framehorizontally. Thus, in conventional spin-coating apparatuses, thespun-out mask material accumulates at the edge of the wafer frame 102,which then flows underneath the wafer frame 102, causing contaminationon the backside of the wafer 106.

In contrast, FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of spin-coatingapparatuses with rotatable stages that have a downward sloping regionpositioned beyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention. The apparatuses 200A of FIG.2A and 200B of FIG. 2B may be used for forming a film over asemiconductor wafer 206. The semiconductor wafer 206 is disposed over acarrier. For example, the semiconductor wafer 206 is disposed on anadhesive tape 204 (e.g., a dicing tape) and coupled to a wafer frame 202with the adhesive tape 204. As illustrated, a rotatable stage 201 isconfigured to support the semiconductor wafer 206, adhesive tape 204,and wafer frame 202. The adhesive tape 204 may include, for example, abase material and a release layer (e.g., a thermal or UV curable layer).The apparatus also includes a nozzle 222 positioned above the rotatablestage 201. The nozzle 222 is configured to dispense a liquid pumped froma source 224 over the semiconductor wafer 206. A motor 212 is configuredto rotate the rotatable stage around a spinning axis 210. Theapparatuses 200A and 200B may also include a controller 214 to configureand/or control components of the apparatuses 200A and 200B. For example,the controller 214 may control the rate of the liquid is dispensed fromthe source 224 through the nozzle 222. The controller 214 includes aprocessor (CPU) 216, memory 218, and input/output (I/O) 220. Thecontroller may include elements similar to, or the same as, the computersystem 600 of FIG. 6.

According to embodiments, the rotatable stage has a downward slopingregion 201B positioned beyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer206. As illustrated, “positioned beyond” the perimeter of thesemiconductor wafer 206 can include positioned at the edge of thesemiconductor wafer 206. The rotatable stage may also include an innerregion 201A positioned under the semiconductor wafer 206, such that thedownward sloping region 201B is between the inner region 201A and edgesof the rotatable stage. The inner region 201A of the stage 201 that ispositioned under the semiconductor wafer 206 is substantially flat. Theillustrated rotatable stage 201 also includes an outer region 201C atthe edges of the rotatable stage 201, such that the downward slopingregion 201B is between the inner region 201A and the outer region 201C.The outer region 201C of the rotatable stage 201 may also be flat. Theouter region 201C of the rotatable stage 201 includes a holdingmechanism configured to hold the wafer frame 202 over which thesemiconductor wafer 206 is mounted. For example, FIG. 2A illustrates anapparatus 200A with vacuum holes 208 to secure the wafer to the. FIG. 2Billustrates an apparatus 200B with clamps 209 to secure the wafer 206 tothe stage 201. The inner region 201A, the downward sloping region 201B,and the outer region 201C may be a single piece (e.g., one monolithstage), or may include multiple pieces (e.g., the inner region 201A maybe one piece, and the downward sloping region 201B and/or the outerregion 201C may be separate rings positioned around the inner region201A of the rotatable stage 201).

The downward sloping region 201B has an angle θ with respect to a planecorresponding to a top surface of the stage 201 in the inner region201A. In one embodiment, the angle θ is between 1 and 10 degrees. Due tothe downward sloping region 201B being at an angle greater than 0 (e.g.,in the range of approximately 1 to 10 degrees), the outer region 201C ofthe rotatable stage is at a lower height than the inner region 201A. Asa result, the wafer frame 202 is at a lower height than thesemiconductor wafer 206. Having the downward sloping region 201B at theangle θ thus helps to eliminate contamination from spin-coating residuebecause the spun-out mask residue will be thrown onto the sidewall ofthe coating chamber, leaving the wafer frame 202 untouched andpreventing contamination of the backside of the wafer 206. Embodimentsmay also include a downward sloping region 201B that has an angle thatis greater than 10 degrees, however, too large of an angle may causeexcessive stress on the tape 204, which can be transferred to wafer 206,causing damage to the tape 204 and/or wafer 206.

FIG. 2C is an isometric view of the spin-coating apparatuses of FIGS. 2Aand 2B, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Asillustrated, the apparatus 200C includes the rotatable stage 201 tosupport the wafer 206. An exposed portion of the adhesive tape 204disposed over the downward sloping region, and the wafer frame isdisposed over the outer region of the rotatable stage 201. The arrowindicates a possible direction of rotation of the rotatable stage 201 toform a film over the semiconductor wafer 206 with the dispensed liquid.

FIG. 3A is a flowchart illustrating a method 300A for forming a filmover a semiconductor wafer, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention. FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating a method ofdicing a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of integratedcircuits, including formation of a film over the semiconductor waferaccording to the method 300A of FIG. 3A. FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4Dillustrate cross-sectional views of a semiconductor wafer duringperformance of a method of dicing the semiconductor wafer, correspondingto operations of FIG. 3B, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention.

The method 300A of FIG. 3A and 300B of FIG. 3B begin with supporting asemiconductor wafer 406 over a rotatable stage 401 having a downwardsloping region 401B positioned beyond a perimeter of the semiconductorwafer 406, at operation 302 and corresponding to FIG. 4A. The rotatablestage 401 may be similar to, or the same as, the stage 201 of FIGS. 2Aand 2B. For example, the semiconductor wafer 406 may be mounted on acarrier (e.g., the wafer frame 402) with a tape 404. The wafer frame 402may be supported by an outer region 401C of the stage 401. In theillustrated embodiment, clamps 409 hold the wafer frame 402 in place,but other holding mechanisms may be used. The method may involvepositioning the semiconductor wafer 406 over an inner region 401A of therotatable stage 401 such that an exposed section of the tape 404 isbetween edges of the wafer frame 402 and the semiconductor wafer 406,and is positioned over the downward sloping region 401B.

In one embodiment, the wafer 406 includes a substrate 413. According toone embodiment, the semiconductor wafer 406 has a diameter of at least300 mm and has a thickness of 250 μm to 800 μm. The semiconductor wafer406 has disposed on or in the substrate 413, a portion of integratedcircuits 407, which include semiconductor devices. Examples of suchsemiconductor devices include, but are not limited to, memory devices orcomplimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors fabricated ina silicon substrate and encased in a dielectric layer. A plurality ofmetal interconnects may be formed above the devices or transistors, andin surrounding dielectric layers, and may be used to electrically couplethe devices or transistors to form the integrated circuits. Conductivebumps or pads 411 and passivation layers may be formed above theinterconnect layers. The conductive bumps or pads 411 may include solderballs. Materials making up the streets between the integrated circuits407 may be similar to or the same as those materials used to form theintegrated circuits 407. For example, streets may be composed of layersof dielectric materials, semiconductor materials, and metallization. Inone embodiment, one or more of the streets includes test devices similarto the actual devices of the integrated circuits.

After supporting the wafer 406 over the rotatable stage 401, the methods300A and 300B involve dispensing a liquid over the semiconductor wafer406 at operation 304. In one embodiment, the dispensed liquid includes amixture of a polymer (e.g., a water-soluble polymer) and a solvent. Forexample, the dispensed liquid may include one or more of: poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA), poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid),poly(acrylamide), or poly(ethylene oxide).

At operation 306, the method 300A includes rotating the rotatable stage401 to form the film 415 over the semiconductor wafer 406, asillustrated in FIG. 4B. Similarly, the method 300B of FIG. 3B includesrotating the rotatable stage 401 to form a mask over the semiconductorwafer 406, covering and protecting integrated circuits 407 on the wafer,at operation 356. The film 415 may also protect the bumps or pads 411projecting or protruding up from the surface of the semiconductor wafer406. Additionally, the film 415 may cover intervening streets formedbetween adjacent ones of the integrated circuits 407. The dispensedliquid is thus distributed across the surface of the semiconductor wafer406 to form the film 415, without resulting in significant residue onthe bottom of the semiconductor wafer 406 or wafer frame 402.

The method 300B of FIG. 3B continues with operations for dicing thesemiconductor wafer 406 with a hybrid laser plasma method. In one suchembodiment, the method 300B involves patterning the film 415 with alaser scribing process at operation 358, as illustrated in FIG. 4C. Thelaser scribing process exposes regions 417 (e.g., gaps or trenches) ofthe semiconductor wafer between the ICs 407. To minimize dielectricdelamination and cracking, a femtosecond laser may be preferred.However, depending on the device structure, an ultraviolet (UV),picosecond, or nanosecond laser source can also be applied. The laserhas a pulse repetition frequency in the range of 80 kHz to 1 MHz,ideally in the range of 100 kHz to 500 kHz.

The laser scribing process is performed generally to remove the materialof the streets present between the integrated circuits. In accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention, patterning the film 415with the laser scribing process includes forming the trenches 417partially into the regions of the semiconductor wafer 406 between theintegrated circuits 407. In an embodiment, patterning the mask with thelaser scribing process includes direct writing a pattern using a laserhaving a pulse width in the femtosecond range. Specifically, a laserwith a wavelength in the visible spectrum (e.g., green band, or 500-540nm) or the ultra-violet (UV, or 300-400 nm band) or infra-red (IR) band(the three totaling a broadband optical spectrum) may be used to providea femtosecond-based laser, i.e., a laser with a pulse width on the orderof the femtosecond (10⁻¹⁵ seconds). In one embodiment, ablation is not,or is essentially not, wavelength dependent and is thus suitable forcomplex films such as films of the mask, the streets and, possibly, aportion of the semiconductor wafer or substrate.

Laser parameters selection, such as pulse width, may be critical todeveloping a successful laser scribing and dicing process that minimizeschipping, microcracks and delamination in order to achieve clean laserscribe cuts. The cleaner the laser scribe cut, the smoother an etchprocess that may be performed for ultimate die singulation. Insemiconductor device wafers, many functional layers of differentmaterial types (e.g., conductors, insulators, semiconductors) andthicknesses are typically disposed thereon. Such materials may include,but are not limited to, organic materials such as polymers, metals, orinorganic dielectrics such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.

Under conventional laser irradiation (such as nanosecond-based orpicosecond-based laser irradiation), the materials of the street maybehave quite differently in terms of optical absorption and ablationmechanisms. For example, dielectrics layers such as silicon dioxide, isessentially transparent to all commercially available laser wavelengthsunder normal conditions. By contrast, metals, organics (e.g., low Kmaterials) and silicon can couple photons very easily, particularly inresponse to nanosecond-based or picosecond-based laser irradiation. Inan embodiment, however, a femtosecond-based laser process is used topattern a layer of silicon dioxide, a layer of low K material, and alayer of copper by ablating the layer of silicon dioxide prior toablating the layer of low K material and the layer of copper. In aspecific embodiment, pulses of approximately less than or equal to 400femtoseconds are used in a femtosecond-based laser irradiation processto remove a mask, a street, and a portion of a silicon substrate. Inanother embodiment, pulses of approximately less than or equal to 500femtoseconds are used.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, suitablefemtosecond-based laser processes are characterized by a high peakintensity (irradiance) that usually leads to nonlinear interactions invarious materials. In one such embodiment, the femtosecond laser sourceshave a pulse width approximately in the range of 10 femtoseconds to 500femtoseconds, although preferably in the range of 100 femtoseconds to400 femtoseconds. In one embodiment, the femtosecond laser sources havea wavelength approximately in the range of 1570 nanometers to 200nanometers, although preferably in the range of 540 nanometers to 250nanometers. In one embodiment, the laser and corresponding opticalsystem provide a focal spot at the work surface approximately in therange of 3 microns to 15 microns, though preferably approximately in therange of 5 microns to 10 microns.

The spacial beam profile at the work surface may be a single mode(Gaussian) or have a shaped top-hat profile. In an embodiment, the lasersource has a pulse repetition rate approximately in the range of 200 kHzto 10 MHz, although preferably approximately in the range of 500 kHz to5 MHz. In an embodiment, the laser source delivers pulse energy at thework surface approximately in the range of 0.5 μJ to 100 μJ, althoughpreferably approximately in the range of 1 μJ to 5 μJ. In an embodiment,the laser scribing process runs along a work piece surface at a speedapproximately in the range of 500 mm/sec to 5 m/sec, although preferablyapproximately in the range of 600 mm/sec to 2 m/sec.

The scribing process may be run in single pass only, or in multiplepasses, but, in an embodiment, preferably 1-2 passes. In one embodiment,the scribing depth in the work piece is approximately in the range of 5microns to 50 microns deep, preferably approximately in the range of 10microns to 20 microns deep. The laser may be applied either in a trainof single pulses at a given pulse repetition rate or a train of pulsebursts. In an embodiment, the kerf width of the laser beam generated isapproximately in the range of 2 microns to 15 microns, although insilicon wafer scribing/dicing preferably approximately in the range of 6microns to 10 microns, measured at the device/silicon interface.

Laser parameters may be selected with benefits and advantages such asproviding sufficiently high laser intensity to achieve ionization ofinorganic dielectrics (e.g., silicon dioxide) and to minimizedelamination and chipping caused by underlayer damage prior to directablation of inorganic dielectrics. Also, parameters may be selected toprovide meaningful process throughput for industrial applications withprecisely controlled ablation width (e.g., kerf width) and depth. Asdescribed above, a femtosecond-based laser is far more suitable toproviding such advantages, as compared with picosecond-based andnanosecond-based laser ablation processes. However, even in the spectrumof femtosecond-based laser ablation, certain wavelengths may providebetter performance than others. For example, in one embodiment, afemtosecond-based laser process having a wavelength close to (e.g.,500-540 nm), or in the UV range (e.g., 300-400 nm) provides a cleanerablation process than a femtosecond-based laser process having awavelength close to or in the IR range. In a specific such embodiment, afemtosecond-based laser process suitable for semiconductor wafer orsubstrate scribing is based on a laser having a wavelength ofapproximately less than or equal to 540 nanometers. In a particular suchembodiment, pulses of approximately less than or equal to 400femtoseconds of the laser having the wavelength of approximately lessthan or equal to 540 nanometers are used. However, in an alternativeembodiment, dual laser wavelengths (e.g., a combination of an IR laserand a UV laser) are used.

Returning to FIG. 3B and to corresponding FIG. 4D, in some embodiments,singulation of the dies is done by plasma etching after the initiallaser scribing operation. For example, the method 300B includes etchingthe semiconductor wafer 406 through trenches 417 in the patterned film415 to ultimately etch entirely through semiconductor wafer 406, atoperation 360. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated by FIG. 4D, theplasma etching is stopped on the adhesive tape, with individualizedportions 419A and 419B of the semiconductor wafer 406 separated by thetrench 417.

In a specific embodiment, during the etch process the etch rate of thematerial of semiconductor wafer 206 is greater than 25 microns perminute. An ultra-high-density plasma source may be used for the plasmaetching portion of the die singulation process. An example of a processchamber suitable to perform such a plasma etch process is the AppliedCentura® Silvia™ Etch system available from Applied Materials ofSunnyvale, Calif., USA. The Applied Centura® Silvia™ Etch systemcombines the capacitive and inductive RF coupling, which gives much moreindependent control of the ion density and ion energy than is possiblewith capacitive coupling only, even with the improvements provided bymagnetic enhancement. This combination enables effective decoupling ofthe ion density from ion energy, so as to achieve relatively highdensity plasmas without the high, potentially damaging, DC bias levels,even at very low pressures. Multi-RF source configurations also resultsin an exceptionally wide process window. However, any plasma etchchamber capable of etching silicon may be used, at least in theory, forexample, if throughput is not of paramount importance.

In an exemplary embodiment, a deep silicon etch is used to etch a singlecrystalline silicon substrate or wafer 406 at an etch rate greater thanapproximately 40% of conventional silicon etch rates (e.g., 40 μm, ormore) while maintaining essentially precise profile control andvirtually scallop-free sidewalls. In a specific embodiment, athrough-silicon via type etch process is used. The etch process is basedon a plasma generated from a reactive gas, which generally is afluorine-based gas such as NF₃, SF₆, SiF₄, C₄F₈, CHF₃, XeF₂, or anyother reactant gas capable of etching silicon at a relatively fast etchrate.

In another embodiment, the laser scribing process singulates the dies,and a plasma etching operation may be performed to remove damagedsemiconductor material resulting from the laser scribing process. Forexample, a plasma etch operation may remove a portion of semiconductorfrom the sidewalls of the scribed trenches. According to embodiments,the singulated dies need sufficiently high die break strengths to ensurereliable die pick and place and subsequent assembly processes. It hasbeen found that the rough, damaged sidewalls present following the laserablation operation may unacceptably reduce die break strength. However,it has also been found that the damage layer in a silicon substrate fora femtosecond laser is less than 3 μm thick and that a higher die breakstrength can be achieved by performing the plasma etch operation 360 toremove a comparable thickness of semiconductor from sidewalls exposed bythe trench 417.

Vertical etch rates of 10 μm/min are expected with lateral etch ratebeing between 50 and 100% of that, depending on process conditions. Assuch, etch time is generally within 10 to 90 sec, depending on thedesired undercut and/or remaining thickness of the substrate.

After plasma etching at operation 360 of FIG. 3B, the method may involveremoval of the film 415 (as illustrated in FIG. 4D), and operations forproceeding with packaging of the singulated ICs, at operation 362.

Thus, FIGS. 3A and 3B depict methods of forming a film over asemiconductor wafer without contaminating the wafer frame and/or bottomside of the semiconductor wafer with residue from mask formation. FIG.3B further includes operations for dicing a semiconductor wafer orsubstrate involving formation of the mask according to embodimentsherein.

Turning to FIG. 5, a single integrated platform 500 may be configured toperform many or all of the operations in the hybrid laserablation-plasma etch singulation process 300B of FIG. 3B. For example,FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a cluster tool 506 coupled withlaser scribe apparatus 510 for laser and plasma dicing of substrates, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 5, the cluster tool 506 is coupled to a factory interface 502 (FI)having a plurality of load locks 504. The factory interface 502 may be asuitable atmospheric port to interface between an outside manufacturingfacility with laser scribe apparatus 510 and cluster tool 506. Thefactory interface 502 may include robots with arms or blades fortransferring substrates (or carriers thereof) from storage units (suchas front opening unified pods) into either cluster tool 506 or laserscribe apparatus 510, or both.

A laser scribe apparatus 510 is also coupled to the FI 502. In anembodiment, the laser scribe apparatus 510 includes a femtosecond laseroperating in the 300-540 nm band. The femtosecond laser to performingthe laser ablation portion of the hybrid laser and etch singulationprocesses 300B of FIG. 3B. In one embodiment, a moveable stage is alsoincluded in laser scribe apparatus 510, the moveable stage configuredfor moving a wafer or substrate (or a carrier thereof) relative to thefemtosecond-based laser. In a specific embodiment, the femtosecond laseris also moveable.

The cluster tool 506 includes one or more plasma etch chambers 508coupled to the FI by a robotic transfer chamber housing a robotic armfor in-vaccuo transfer of substrates. The plasma etch chambers 508 issuitable for performing a plasma etch portion of the hybrid laser andetch singulation process 300B of FIG. 3B. In one exemplary embodiment,the plasma etch chamber 508 is further coupled to an SF₆ gas source andat least one of a C₄F₈ and C₄F₆ source. In one embodiment, the plasmaetch chamber 508 is coupled to an SF₆ gas source and at least one of aC₄F₈, CF₄, and C₄F₆ source. In a specific embodiment, the one or moreplasma etch chambers 508 is an Applied Centura® Silvia™ Etch system,available from Applied Materials of Sunnyvale, Calif., USA, althoughother suitable etch systems are also available commercially. In anembodiment, more than one etch chamber 508 is included in the clustertool 506 portion of integrated platform 500 to enable high manufacturingthroughput of the singulation or dicing process.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the cluster tool 506 alsoincludes a spin-coating module 514. The spin-coating module 514 mayinclude a spin-coating apparatus as described herein configured toperform a spin-coating method such as the method 300A of FIG. 3A. Adeposition chamber or an additional etch chamber 512 may also beincluded for deposition or etch of other layers (e.g., deposition of anunderfill layer).

FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system 600 within which a set ofinstructions, for causing the machine to execute one or more of thescribing methods discussed herein may be executed. The exemplarycomputer system 600 includes a processor 602, a main memory 604 (e.g.,read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory(DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), astatic memory 606 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory(SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory 618 (e.g., a data storage device),which communicate with each other via a bus 630.

Processor 602 represents one or more general-purpose processing devicessuch as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. Moreparticularly, the processor 602 may be a complex instruction setcomputing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing(RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor,etc. Processor 602 may also be one or more special-purpose processingdevices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP),network processor, or the like. Processor 602 is configured to executethe processing logic 626 for performing the operations and stepsdiscussed herein.

The computer system 600 may further include a network interface device608. The computer system 600 also may include a video display unit 610(e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), analphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 614 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 616 (e.g., aspeaker).

The secondary memory 618 may include a machine-accessible storage medium(or more specifically a computer-readable storage medium) 631 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 622)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein. The software 622 may also reside, completely or at leastpartially, within the main memory 604 and/or within the processor 602during execution thereof by the computer system 600, the main memory 604and the processor 602 also constituting machine-readable storage media.The software 622 may further be transmitted or received over a network620 via the network interface device 608.

While the machine-accessible storage medium 631 is shown in an exemplaryembodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable storagemedium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media(e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated cachesand servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include anymedium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions forexecution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any oneor more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term“machine-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include,but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magneticmedia, and other non-transitory machine-readable storage medium.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative, and not restrictive. For example, while flow diagrams inthe figures show a particular order of operations performed by certainembodiments of the invention, it should be understood that such order isnot required (e.g., alternative embodiments may perform the operationsin a different order, combine certain operations, overlap certainoperations, etc.). Furthermore, many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the abovedescription. Although the present invention has been described withreference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be recognized thatthe invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but can bepracticed with modification and alteration within the spirit and scopeof the appended claims. The scope of the invention should, therefore, bedetermined with reference to the appended claims, along with the fullscope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spin-coating apparatus for forming a film overa substrate mounted on a carrier, the spin-coating apparatus comprising:a rotatable stage comprising: an inner region to support the substrate,and a downward sloping region coupled with the inner region andpositioned beyond a perimeter of the substrate; a nozzle positionedabove the rotatable stage and configured to dispense a liquid over thesubstrate; and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable stage.
 2. Thespin-coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downward sloping regionhas an angle that is between 1 and 10 degrees.
 3. The spin-coatingapparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner region positioned under thesubstrate is substantially flat.
 4. The spin-coating apparatus of claim1, further comprising an outer region, wherein the outer region of therotatable stage comprises a holding mechanism configured to hold a waferframe over which the substrate is mounted.
 5. The spin-coating apparatusof claim 4, wherein the outer region of the rotatable stage is locatedbeyond the downward sloping region, and wherein the outer region isflat.
 6. The spin-coating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the innerregion, downward sloping region, and outer region of the rotatable stageare one piece.
 7. A spin-coating apparatus for forming a film over asubstrate mounted on a carrier, the spin-coating apparatus comprising: arotatable stage configured to support the substrate mounted on thecarrier, wherein the rotatable stage comprises: an inner regionpositioned under the substrate, an outer region positioned under edgesof the carrier and having a lower height than the inner region, and adownward sloping region between the inner region and the outer region; anozzle positioned above the rotatable stage and configured to dispense aliquid over the substrate; and a motor configured to rotate therotatable stage.
 8. The spin-coating apparatus of claim 7, wherein thedownward sloping region has an angle that is between 1 and 10 degrees.9. The spin-coating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the inner regionpositioned under the substrate is substantially flat.
 10. Thespin-coating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the outer region of therotatable stage comprises a holding mechanism configured to hold a waferframe over which the substrate is mounted.
 11. The spin-coatingapparatus of claim 10, wherein the outer region of the rotatable stageis flat.
 12. The spin-coating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the innerregion, downward sloping region, and outer region of the rotatable stageare one piece.
 13. A spin-coating method for forming a film over asemiconductor wafer, the method comprising: supporting the semiconductorwafer over a rotatable stage having a downward sloping region positionedbeyond a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer; dispensing a liquid overthe semiconductor wafer; and rotating the rotatable stage to form thefilm over the semiconductor wafer.
 14. The spin-coating method of claim13, wherein the downward sloping region has an angle that is between 1and 10 degrees.
 15. The spin-coating method of claim 13, furthercomprising: mounting the semiconductor wafer on a carrier with a tape;wherein supporting the semiconductor wafer comprises positioning thesemiconductor wafer over an inner region of the rotatable stage, whereinan exposed section of the tape between edges of the carrier and thesemiconductor wafer is positioned over the downward sloping region.